GENERAL AUTISM INFORMATION
What is autism?
Autism is a neurological disorder. It interferes with the ability to learn how to communicate, interact with others socially and play in an imaginary fashion.
How do children get autism?
This is a fantastic question. At this time there are many different ideas but scientist have not isolated a cause, or a number of causes that can be considered conclusive. Scientists are exploring many different avenues in the causes of autism. These range from genetic links, reaction to vaccines, dietary allergies, and the list goes on. Every year scientists make strides to understand autism and work to pinpoint the cause for the disorder.
Is autism common?
Autism isn’t as rare as most people think, it is becoming one of the fastest growing developmental disorder in children. It currently is recorded that around 1 in every 150 children have autism (from the Autism Society of America.) Currently it is estimated that fifty families will discover their child has autism daily.
Is every autistic child the same?
No! Autism is considered a spectrum disorder. There are varying degrees on the spectrum, ranging from mild to severe impairments.
- There is Classic Autism, which has significant delays in three specific areas. First is the ability to form social relationships. The second is severe problems in communication, specifically communicating thoughts and feelings. Many severely autistic children use few words or do not speak at all. The third is the display of repetitive behavior. These children tend to follow strict daily routines; they relay on set patterns, they display repetitive motions or movements, and saying the same phrase over and over.
- There is also Asperger’s Syndrome; children with Asperger’s don’t show the range of obvious symptoms. There is usually not a deficiency in intellect for children with Asperger’s. In fact they may perform extremely well in school. There are no delays in language acquisition; they learn to speak at the same developmental rate as other children. The areas that are drastically different are found in their social lives and personal interaction skills. Children with Asperger’s have trouble interacting with classmates, teachers and family. They don’t seem to know how to navigate social circles; often times they prefer solitary activities.
- The last type is Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified or PDD-NOS. PDD-NOS is a broad category for children that don’t fit perfectly under the label of Asperger’s or classic autism. They may show some of the behaviors associated with classic autism or Asperger’s, but miss a few significant others.
When are children diagnosed with autism?
Every child with autism is different but generally parents notice a difference in their child around two years of age. Some parents say they had always known that there was a difference in their child, even since infancy. For less severely impaired children the diagnosis is not made until they are school aged.
Is there a cure for autism?
Unfortunately, at this time there is not a cure. It is important to remember that doctors and specialists cannot pinpoint a clear cause either. There are many treatment and intervention options available at this time. These treatments address behaviors, symptoms and communication issues associated with autism.